Africa

Experience Africa

Game drives through open plains, bush walks with Masaai guides, dinners beneath fiery sunsets...

Northern Tanzania safari Kenya safari & Zanzibar Namibia self-drive safari

This seven-day sample safari includes time in renowned wildlife areas such as the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. Game drives from your comfortable camp give you a chance to spot the Big Five and other wildlife. This varied 13-day trip idea takes in the wildlife and landscapes of two Kenyan reserves, including the chance to visit the world’s last northern white rhinos. End with a few days relaxing on Zanzibar’s dazzling beaches. Following this 11-day suggested trip through Namibia, you’ll pass red-rock landscapes, desert dunes and shimmering salt pans. You can also drive yourself on safari, focusing on the wildlife that most interests you.

Day

1 Land in Arusha, which lies in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. You can spend the rest of the day relaxing at your hotel or touring the city with a guide.

2-3 You’re driven in a private vehicle to Lake Manyara National Park, where you’ll watch hippo, flamingoes and other birds in the soda lake’s clear blue waters. You then continue on to Karatu, your base for exploring the Ngorongoro Crater. Within this natural bowl, you can spot big cats, black rhino and buffalo on game drives.

4-7 You’ll stay in a tented camp within the Serengeti National Park, spotting wildlife on private twice-daily game drives. You might see the huge herds of wildebeest that form the Great Migration, and the hungry cheetah, leopard and lion that follow in their wake.

Day

1-3 A short light-aircraft flight from Nairobi gets you to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, known for its healthy rhino populations. Here, you can take twice-daily game drives, including at night, as well as bush walks. The reserve’s also home to the last two northern white rhino in the world, which you can visit to learn about how the reserve is protecting the species.

4-7 Fly down to the Masai Mara for a safari in Kenya’s flagship reserve. You’ll stay in a private conservancy where visitor numbers are limited, taking game drives and guided walks with Maasai guides.

8-13 Hop back to Nairobi then fly to the pearly shores of Zanzibar for a few days of relaxation. Snorkel in the clear waters, sail aboard a dhow, explore Stone Town’s multicultural history and tour the island’s spice plantations.

Day

1 Drive from Windhoek to Okonjima Nature Reserve, which rescues and rehabilitates leopard.

2-5 See leopard with a guide before driving to Etosha National Park. Here, you can enjoy the freedom of driving yourself or join guided game drives for a local insight. All manner of wildlife gathers around the permanent waterholes in this arid region, and you might see big cats along the side of the road.

6-7 Drive north to the sunbaked, red-rock landscape of Damaraland. You might see desert-adapted elephant on game drives, while guided walks open your eyes to smaller species.

8-11 See ancient rock art en route to Swakopmund, where you can kayak with seals and spot wildlife in the desert dunes.

From £4,750 per person* From £5,960 per person* From £3,800 per person*

Delphi

8 OF THE BEST

History & architecture experiences

From Egypt’s ancient pyramids to Los Angeles’ soaring skyline, we’ve spent decades exploring great architectural works around the world. We know it can be hard to get a new or compelling perspective on these often-busy destinations, so we’ve uncovered ways for you to see well-known sights in a new light — sometimes literally. We’ve woken in the hours before dawn to watch the sunrise and explored deep in the jungle by the flickering flames of torches. Here, we’ve rounded up eight of the most interesting ways you can experience these impressive constructions.

1Go inside Egypt’s Bent Pyramid Hot and close, the narrow passageways inside a pyramid often require you to walk crouched 2 Follow in the footsteps of Greek pilgrims Once, kings and commoners alike came from across over to avoid cracking your head on the ceiling. However, we the Greek world to make the long trek to Apollo’s mountaintop think there’s no better way to experience ancient Egypt. You shrine at Delphi, where they could ask important questions of the can, of course, go inside the Great Pyramid of Cheops, Egypt’s Oracle. To understand the importance of the temple complex to best-known attraction. But we also encourage you to visit the Greek people, we can arrange for you to take a guided hike the necropolis at Dahshur to see both the Red Pyramid and that follows in the footsteps of those long-ago supplicants. the Bent Pyramid. Built about 2590 BC, these are two of the world’s oldest pyramids, each more than 2,500 years old when After meeting your guide near the entrance to the ruins, you’ll Cleopatra became pharaoh. follow the statue-lined Sacred Way down the gentle slope as your guide explains the historical and mythological importance of the Standing in the open desert, with only a scattered handful of route. The path offers long views over the sparkling blue waters of other visitors, you can start to get a sense of the vast age of the distant Gulf of Corinth and a chance to enjoy the countryside, these monuments. And, once you venture down into the heart as well as a unique insight into ancient Greek culture. You can of the tomb, you can glimpse the early genius of these ancient even pause in the shade of an olive grove with trees that date back architects, including a fragment of the original cedar beams. to the classical era. 3 4

See temples by torchlight in Slide down a Los Angeles skyscraper Cambodia Generally, children aren’t known for deep aesthetic The largest single temple constructed during admiration of modern architecture. The Skyslide the Angkor period, Preah Khan is a sprawling complex with may be the exception that proves the rule, however. The U.S. narrow corridors and lichen-mottled towers — the whole Bank Tower is the tallest building in Los Angeles — in fact, it’s thing is almost twice the size of Angkor Wat. Due to its remote the tallest American building west of the Mississippi River. Its location, few visitors make it this deep into rural Cambodia, 70th floor has been converted into OUE Skyspace, an interactive ensuring that a visit here is relatively quiet. observation terrace where you can soak up panoramic views of the city and landmarks like the Hollywood Sign and For the chance to explore truly on your own, however, we’ve Capitol Records. cultivated a relationship with the temple to allow you to spend the night. Dine on Khmer cuisine as the sun goes down and As lovely as the views are, the real attraction here is the Skyslide. the jungle comes alive with the flicker of bats and the hum of Built out of perfectly clear glass, the slide wraps around the insects. Then, with a guide, light a torch and clamber through outside of the skyscraper, more than 300 m (1,000 ft) above the interior chambers where the dancing firelight brings the the pavement below. Riders sit on a mat and rocket down 14 m etched figures to eerie life. Once you’ve had your fill, you’ll (45 ft) through the open air, watching the skyline blur outside spend the night in a luxury tent just outside the complex. the enclosed chute. It’s a way to get up close and personal with architecture that children can appreciate.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

5

Climb across the Sydney Harbour Bridge

The massive, curving silhouette of the Sydney Harbour Bridge echoes the shell-like fins of the city’s signature opera house — together, they make the most frequently photographed view of the capital. But, for an altogether lessfamiliar perspective, you can climb up onto the bridge for sweeping 360-degree views of the city’s waterfront, skyline and that renowned opera house.

Led by an expert guide, you can ascend up (and up) into the struts and riggings of the bridge. For safety reasons, you’re attached to a static line the whole time, something that you might appreciate when the wind picks up at the peak of the arch, high above the water. We can also arrange for a night climb, particularly during the Vivid festival each May and June, when the city is bathed in vast swathes of shocking magenta, glowing orange and pulsating purple light.

7Cruise Dubrovnik by moonlight Begun in the 9th century, Dubrovnik’s wellpreserved walls are the city’s biggest attraction. They’ve drawn visitors for decades and their popularity is only enhanced by the city’s starring role in the TV adaptation of Game of Thrones. A guided walk around the walls is a vital part of any visit here — the ramparts provide some of the best views over the terracotta roofs of the old town as well as the shimmering waters of the Adriatic. But it can be hard to appreciate the full scope of the fortifications within the swell of visitors. That’s why we suggest spending an evening admiring the city from the water. A private sunset cruise offers a waterside perspective far from the throngs. The warm western light reflects off the water and turns the grey limestone a glowing gold as you circumnavigate the city, sipping Champagne and sampling local oysters.